The right 35mm for YOU
Feb 23 '01 (Updated Nov 06 '01)
The Bottom Line The choice of a 35mm camera is a personal one only YOU can make. It should take into account YOUR photographic needs. Good luck in your quest!
Before you can choose a 35mm camera, you need to decide what you want from it. It helps to make a list of your needs, answering such questions as:
* What am I expecting the camera to be able to do? (Do you require automation or do you prefer to take control of such things as focus, aperture, shutter-speed? Are you planning to use the camera to learn photographic technique?)
* Where am I going to use it and for what type of subjects? (Mainly indoors or outdoors? Fast-moving or mainly static subjects? Landscapes? Macro-photography? Wildlife? Night-time photography? Do you want to use flash for creative effects?)
* Are its weight and size important considerations to me? (Do you want to be able to take it with you anywhere, any time? Does it matter if you will be encumbered by a heavy bag of lenses and accessories?)
* How important is the quality of my pictures? (Do you want to take slides or prints? Will you be making big enlargements?)
* What is my budget?
I have deliberately omitted brand preference in the above list. If you limit yourself to one particular brand, for whatever reason, then your choice is narrower and you could miss out on the 'ideal' camera for you. However, there are good and not so good brands and models on the market, so be careful! If in doubt, refer to user ratings - there are a couple of good camera review sites on the Web. And don't just select from a catalog or a website: go to a camera store and try out a few models to see which ones suit you.
You might be able to make your budget go further if you are prepared to consider the used market. A warning here, though: there are many traps for the unwary and, if you feel unable to make a thorough assessment of a used 'bargain', it might be better to avoid it. Again, be careful!
Modern 35mm cameras fall into three basic types, namely, single lens reflex (SLR), rangefinder (RF) and point & shoot (P&S). The following is a summary of the pros and cons of each camera type.
Single Lens Reflex - Pros:
* SLRs are, by nature, extremely flexible. Lenses are interchangeable and both 'prime' and 'zoom' lenses can be used. Thus, the camera can be adapted to suit almost any application.
* The same lens is used for both the viewfinder and the film, so what you see is what you get. There are no parallax problems in close up portraits.
* Focusing can be manual or automatic, depending on the model selected. A manual focus camera is usually recommended for beginners who want to study photography, so they can learn more about the fundamentals. Autofocus is a valuable feature for tracking fast-moving subjects. It can be argued that auto-focus has no benefit for macro or landscape photography, however.
* Depth of field (DoF) can be previewed by stopping down the lens to its working aperture whilst composing the shot. This is especially useful, for example, in portrait work.
* Film advance can be either automatic with built-in motor or manual. In most cases, you can buy an accessory motor drive or autowinder to attach to manual advance models.
* Most SLRs offer an assortment of operating modes for control of exposure, from fully manual to fully programmed. It is important to ensure that the modes offered will give you the degree of control you need. Manual mode is usually recommended for learning the basics of photography and some people prefer the control it gives them.
* Some SLRs offer a selection of metering methods, including center-weighted, spot and matrix metering. Center-weighted metering works best with normally illuminated scenes, having an even spread of light and dark areas. This holds true for about 80% of most people's photography. However, scenes that are unusually illuminated, are back-lit or contain light sources or bright reflections are often better served by spot or matrix metering. It's really a matter of how much control you want to have.
* SLR is the only type of camera suitable for use with macro or long telephoto lenses.
* Some models include lock-up or prefire of the mirror and aperture, to minimize vibration. This is a useful feature for macro photography or when using very long lenses, when vibration would almost certainly result in blurred pictures, even using a sturdy tripod.
* Most SLRs incorporate a hot-shoe for connection of flash. Many support TTL flash control, off-camera flash and multiple flashgun attachment, greatly assisting the creative use of flash.
* Ease of use (I'm serious!) They may seem more complicated but, once you become familiar with SLRs, there is no easier type of camera to operate. The degree of control they offer is unparalleled.
Single Lens Reflex - Cons:
* An SLR system is relatively bulky and heavy and can be inconvenient at times. For this reason, most SLR owners also own a smaller camera for 'take anywhere' use.
* The viewfinder blacks out for a short time when the mirror flips up as the photo is taken. Some find this disconcerting and claim it can cause unconscious movement of the camera. Viewfinder blackout is also blamed for missing the "decisive moment" or if the subject blinks and the photographer is unaware of it at the time.
* Some consider SLRs to be obtrusive, large and noisy, especially those with automatic film advance. However, the flipping up and down of the mirror is much quieter on modern cameras than it used to be and some motorised film transports are really not too noisy.
* While there are some cheaper models on the market, a 'serious' SLR system can cost a lot of money. There is virtually no limit to the amount that can be spent!
Rangefinder - Pros:
* Most models enable the use of interchangeable lenses.
* An RF is smaller and quieter than an SLR. There is no mirror to flip up and down. The RF is often considered less obtrusive and the ideal camera for street or candid photography, or for taking pictures where noisy operation would be a problem such as at a meeting or in a court room.
* The absence of a mirror and fact that the lens doesn't need to be stopped down at the instant of pressing the shutter release mean that RF cameras have far less vibration than SLR cameras. As a result, it is usually possible to take successful hand-held shots at lower shutter speeds with an RF camera.
* An RF is lighter and easier to carry than an SLR. An RF camera, a set of lenses and a few accessories can fit into a surprisingly small camera bag and can be less than half the weight of an equivalent SLR kit.
* Lenses for RFs are usually of high quality, although equally high quality lenses are available for SLRs too. However, lenses of equivalent specifications are generally smaller and lighter for an RF than for an SLR.
* RF viewfinders are much brighter than SLR viewfinders.
* Manual focusing in poor light is easier than with an SLR, especially with wide angle lenses.
* The better models include parallax correction for close-up use, so you don't chop off the top of your subject's head, for example. This is achieved in most RFs by framelines which move as the focus is adjusted.
* The fact that the framelines usually take up only a portion of the viewfinder means that the photographer can see what's happening outside the frame and can sometimes use this to advantage in composing the shot or waiting for the best moment.
* Some models have built-in autowinders, others have manual film advance. For some manual advance cameras, motor drives and autowinders are available as optional extras.
* There is normally a hot-shoe for connection of a separate flashgun, allowing flexibility and creative use of flash. It is a fact, however, that many RF users feel that the use of flash is inappropriate to this type of camera.
Rangefinder - Cons:
* There is a limited range of lenses for RF cameras, because they are not suitable for use with longer telephoto or macro lenses. Minimum focusing distance with an RF is generally longer than with an SLR, because of the separate viewfinder which makes close focus impractical.
* Most RF cameras can't use zoom lenses, although Contax has developed a 35-70 zoom for the G2 and Leica has a lens with three choices of focal length at 28, 35 and 50 mm for its M series.
* Depth of field cannot be previewed, although lenses are usually marked with DoF guidelines.
* RF cameras tend to be expensive. This is really a niche market.
Point & Shoot - Pros:
* Normally, auto-everything. Suits quick snapshots or inexperienced users.
* P&S lenses can be very good, although this depends on the model. Many models include zoom lenses.
* The more advanced P&S models offer a number of optional operating modes, such as red-eye reduction, flash off, fill-flash, exposure compensation.
* P&S cameras are generally small, light and easy to carry.
* Some models are weatherproofed and can tolerate the odd rain shower - as long as they are dried as soon as possible afterwards!
* P&S cameras are usually inexpensive, although more advanced models are available at higher cost.
Point & Shoot - Cons:
* There is usually little or no user control over focus, DoF and exposure.
* Zoom lenses in P&S cameras tend to have small apertures which limits them to the use of fast films in most circumstances.
* Flash is a built-in, dedicated unit, of very limited power, that gives only direct flash illumination and can produce harsh results, especially in portraits. Off-camera flash and bounce flash are not possible.
* In low light without flash, it can be difficult to hold a P&S camera steady because it's so light.
A Personal Note
What type of 35mm camera do I use? The answer is, all three! I use my rangefinder camera whenever possible, just because I like it and, as I get older, I appreciate its ease of focusing and its compactness and light weight. However, if I need to use a longer lens than 90mm or want to take a macro shot, then it's the SLR's turn. I also have a P&S camera that I like to carry around, just in case my main camera lets me down or would be inconvenient to use.
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